The present invention relates to installations for the recovery of liquid pollutants floating on the surface of water, for example, petroleum, and particularly the recovery and preliminary refinement of the collected pollutant so as to provide a nearly usable petroleum product.
Occasionally, large volumes of petroleum are discharged into navigable streams and waterways as the result of either accidental discharge from a petroleum carrying tanker, or an off-shore drilling rig. In such instances a pollutant results which usually consists of a pure petroleum and a petroleum scum or sludge which floats onor near the surface of the water. In addition to the large financial loss which can result from the loss of such large quantities of petroleum itself, the substantial damage can result to the marine life and the shoreline adjacent to the vicinity where such accidents occur. As a result, it is extremely desirable to remove the pollutant from the surface of the water before any substantial damage can occur. Not only is the recovery of the petroleum desirable, it is also important that the recovery cost be maintained at a minimum, and that the recovered petroleum be relatively pure so that little or no further processing be required in order to render it usable.